With Additional Reporting By Kazi Mahmood, IOL South Asia Correspondent

KUALA LUMPUR, June 20 (IslamOnline) - Malaysia’s political pot is churning with a war of words between Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and Opposition Party Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) over the implementation of the Hudud law in Northern Malaysia, news agencies reported Thursday, June 20.

Mahathir has warned the PAS and its leaders that they are bound to face “hell” in the hereafter if they persist in their threat to implement Hudud or Islamic penal code in Terengganu and Kelantan, two states controlled by the PAS.

The Islamic opposition party is gearing toward the implementation of the Hudud after earlier declarations made by Mahathir that Malaysia was indeed an Islamic country, though it is run by federal laws.

Malaysia has a constitution that guarantees equal rights to all races and religions prompting Mahathir and his deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Badawi to say that this might be the stumbling block against the implementation of the Hudud in the northern states.

Mahathir went deeper in his criticism of the PAS, stating that the PAS was a deviationist movement. He told press the government would block PAS's bid to introduce a version of Sharia or Islamic law in a Terengganu.

He added that in Islam, the laws are fair, but the version of the Hudud imposed by the PAS was unfair.

“They insult Islam by creating a set of laws that is supposedly Islamic but has no justice. It is clear their laws are unfair,” he said as reported by AFP.

Replying Thursday to Mahathir’s attack, the PAS urged the Malaysian premier and any interested parties to come forward with their complaints against the Sharia.

Terengganu state government challenged Wednesday, June 19, the ruling coalition of Mahathir Mohamad to specify the aspects of its proposed Islamic criminal law or hudud it considered cruel, Bernama reported Thursday.

The chief minister Abdul Hadi Awang said that his government would continue to receive views from all groups on its Hudud Law Bill, to be tabled July 7, to ensure that it was implemented in the true sense of justice.

“So far we have received views from various groups and we are providing an opportunity for Umno to list the alleged cruelties in the hudud law through its representatives in the State Assembly.

“I want to know exactly where the hudud law is not based on Islam. Let the Prime Minister give the details,” the PAS deputy president told reporters after chairing the State Executive Council meeting, Bernama reported.

The press in general has reported that the version of the Sharia the PAS wants to implement has provisions for punishments such as stoning to death for adultery and amputation of limbs for theft, and PAS's plans have been widely opposed by women's and other groups.